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News 985-2131 Classified 986-6222

Distribution 986-1337 S56 pages 25¢

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Money
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NEWS photos Nell tLucen

SKIERS RIDING the chairlift at Cypress Bowl make a silhouette against the evening sky. Night skiing is open on all three North Shore ski hills.

Police, ICBC exasperated over 19% itik

A 10 PER cent increase in the number of hit and run reports
registered at the North Vancouver RCMP headquarters be-
tween 1986 and 1987 has police exasperated and ICBC pick-
ing up an ever-increasing tab for bent fenders and mangled

headlights.

“The numbers are up, but we're
not solving any more than last
year,’’ said North Vancouver
RCMP Const. Peter Kennedy.

Kennedy said the department
usually ends up solving 20 per cent
of reported incidents.

During the period between
January and October of 1986
police received 1,264 Motor Vehi-
cle Act (MVA) reports of hit and
run and 19 Criminal Code hit and
run reports. For the same period in
‘87, the department received 1,398
MVA reports and 18 Criminal

iAEL BECK

's Reporter

Code hit and runs.

The insurance corporation shell-
ed out approximately $12 million
for hit and runs in ‘86.

in the case of MVA hit and run
reports, police have a_ licence
humber to work with and can
charge against the registered vehi-
cle. In the case of Criminal Code
hit and runs, police have the hit
and run driver's identification and

can prove intent to leave the scene
of the accident.

Police say they are working
against stacked odds in attempting
to solve most hit and runs because
of an escalating epidemic of acci-
dent witness apathy.

Said Cpl. Ewen Freethy:
“Witnesses used to leave notes
with cars. Now people are more
apathetic and don't want to get in-
volved. Hf they at feast leave the
licence number of the suspect. we
will be able to solve it. If we can
prove who did it, that will help the
victim get the deductible back
from ICBC."

Without a lead to work with, the
victim driver pays a $150 deducti-
ble or a lesser collision coverage
deductible and ICBC absorbs the

ga

w

rest. Kennedy said in the majority
of cases where a victim provided
the licence number of 4 suspect
vehicle, charges were laid and the
suspect vehicle's insurance paid for
the damages and lost the safe
driver's discount.

But in some cases, according to
police, the culprit will go to the hit
car after an accident and place a
bogus note on the windshield to
make it look to any witnesses at
the scene tnat responsibility has
been taken.

Said Freethy: ‘The bad guy
leaves a note on the car saying ‘I
hit vou, screw you.’ Witnesses see
the bad guy leaving a note and
don't bother reporting it. The bad

See Hit

in incidents

NORTH Vancouver RCMP Const,
Peter Kennedy...‘‘The aumbers are
up bul we're not solving any more
than last year."